JWU - the full brief

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Johnson and Wales are two colleges across the street from each other, but their students have almost no interaction. RISD is a prestigious and expensive art school. Philosophically, the College believes in the value of a holistic education, one that balances the emphasis on the professional major with an equally important expectation that a student be versed in the humanities, literature and the social sciences. Johnson & Wales University provides students with an opportunity to pursue a career education in business, hospitality, culinary arts, or technology. They are career focused, and describe themselves as "market driven, focusing both on the needs of our students and the needs of our students' future employers." Generally speaking, RISD students are focused on philosophy and art, whereas Johnson and Wales are focused on business skills and being able to find a job and make money. RISD often come from wealthy backgrounds whereas Johnson and Wales students come from working class backgrounds.

Problem

We are digital media (involving computers) students at RISD. Our department is on the third floor overlooking the Johnson and Wales campus. RISD students look down on the Johnson and Wales students both literally and figuratively. Johnson and Wales' students probably think we are snobs. What can we do to encourage interaction between the two communities?

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